Phil36,can we know now who Israel is? honestly im giddy reading all the insights...pardon me
Hi calvina, Hopefully this will answer your question it is not my words, I doubt if I could express this as clearly, but I say this is truth.
The Bible teaches that God set out to bless the world through a single man. His name was Abram. It meant, “Father of high places,” because in his day people went to the nearest high place to try to get closer to their pagan gods. But his name was changed by God to reflect this promised blessing. His name was changed to Abraham, meaning “Father of a multitude.” Why was he called this? It was because of the promise that he would be the father, both physically and spiritually, of a great many people. And through him, the entire world would be blessed.
It was through Abraham that the nation of Israel came into being. And it was through Abraham that the Messiah came - born as a son of David. But this brought with it a problem. The problem was that not all of the Jews accepted Jesus as the Messiah.
PAUL’S PASSION
1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 9:1-5).
Paul’s antithesis is Jonah who desired to see those who had rejected the Lord come to an early judgment.
Paul was concerned about people. It was a part of what drove him in ministry. And there was something that filled his heart with sorrow and which brought him continuing grief. It was the fact that his own people — the Jews — had not come to faith in Jesus.
Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles. God had called him to take the gospel to the Goyim. And he did so. But he never stopped caring for his fellow Israelites. He never stopped trying to convince them of the truth of the gospel. He never stopped wishing for their conversion - even to the point of wishing that he could take their place, that he could be ****ed in their place.
In verses 4-5 he lists the blessing which have been awarded to the Jewish people.
1. They are Israelites (9:4).
This was a name originally given to Jacob. It wasn’t his original name. He had been given the name “Jacob” as a child. “Jacob” means “heel-grabber” — someone who is out too “trip you up.” Jacob had been like that. Always looking to make a deal — to trip up someone. But then he met the Lord. After an all-night wrestling match that mirrored his inner turmoil, Jacob was tripped up by the Lord. He was given a new name that night. A nickname. He was renamed Israel, meaning “Prince of God.” His descendants were forever after known by this name.
2. To them belongs the adoption as sons (9:4).
The Lord describes the nation of Israel in terms of being His son. Not merely His son, but His first-born son (Exodus 4:22).
3. To them have been given the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service (9:4).
It was the Jews who were witnesses of the glory of God. It was with them that the covenant was made. The Law of Moses was entrusted into their keeping. The temple services were to be found only in their land.
4. They are the Recipients of the Promises (9:4).
All of the prophets were Jewish. The promises of God had their name stamped upon them. They were both the objects and the recipients of the promises of God.
5. The fathers are their Fathers (9:5).
We read of the patriarchs - Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and we might identify with them to some degree. But the Jews were able to all the more for they were THEIR forefathers. They were family. The story of the Old Testament was THEIR story.
6. They are of the same kin as the Son (9:6).
Jesus was Jewish. His genes were Jewish genes. He grew up in a Jewish household and His earliest lessons were in a Jewish home and in a Jewish synagogue.
Paul’s attitude toward the Jews was one of love and concern. He has just finished teaching how there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God (8:39). But now he wishes that he were himself separated from that love rather than that the Jewish people would be separated from it.
This brings up a question. It is a question that deals with the main theme of the book of Romans. It is the question of the righteousness of God versus the unbelief of Israel.
THE QUESTION: HAS GOD’S WORD FAILED?
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel (Romans 9:6).
In giving this statement, Paul presumes a question. It is the question which naturally arises when we look at the fact of Jewish unbelief. Here it is.
If Israel is God’s chosen people (and they are), and if not all of Israel have come to faith in Christ (and they haven’t), and if all who are chosen by God come to Christ (and they do), then why hasn’t Israel come to Christ?
The answer is not that there is some failure in God’s promises. The answer is to be found in the true identity of Israel.
It has been popular in recent years for Jewish rabbis to discuss the question of “who is a Jew?” Paul approaches the same question in this passage. Who is Israel?
THE ANSWER
To answer the question of who is Israel, Paul uses two historical figures from the past history of Israel.
Illustration of Isaac
Illustration of Jacob
Isaac was chosen instead of his older half-brother Ishmael
Jacob was chosen instead of his older twin Esau.
1. Not All Israel Is Israel.
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “Through Isaac your descendants will be named.” (Romans 9:6-7).
The fact that “not all Israel is descended from Israel” is illustrated in the fact of Abraham’s two sons.
Abraham had been promised that he would have a son who would become a great nation. There were several problems with this promise.
Abraham and his wife were both well past the age where it was possible to bear children. The fires of their youth had long since gone out and there was no heat left in the furnace. The coals were stone cold dead.
Even when they had been younger, Sarah had been barren and unable to bear children.
Abraham and Sarah put their heads together and they came up with a plan to “help God.” The plan was named Hagar. Abraham lay with Hagar and had a son by her named Ishmael. But God had needed no help. And He said that Ishmael would not be the son of the promise. Sarah would have a son. Sarah chuckled over this, but God got the last laugh and when it was over, Sarah’s belly began to swell and she gave birth to Isaac - his name means “laughter.”
The point that Paul is making is that being the son of Abraham didn’t automatically connect you with God since Abraham had two sons and only one of them was of the chosen line. Although Ishmael was just as much a son of Abraham as was Isaac, although he was the firstborn, the promise and the inheritance was not given to him. This brings us to our next point.
2. Children of the Promise are the Only Legitimate Descendants.
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”
And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”
Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” (Romans 9:8-13).
Abraham and Sarah are not the only examples of fleshly children who were not chosen by God. There is also the example of Jacob and Esau. They were twins. They had the same father and the same mother. They were born only minutes apart. They were born into the same household and had the same upbringing. But God chose one and not the other. Specifically, God chose the younger over the older.
This was contrary to popular custom. It was normally the older brother who was accorded the birthright and the blessing and the double portion and the leadership over the family. But God chose the younger. He chose Jacob over Esau.
It wasn’t that Jacob was nicer. He wasn’t. Jacob was actually a con artist. That is what his name meant. “Heel grabber” — one who trips you up when you aren’t looking. Jacob lived up to his name. He conned his brother out of his birthright. He tricked his father into giving him the family blessing. He swindled his father-in-law out of the family fortune.
Why did God choose Jacob? It wasn’t because he was better than Esau. Indeed, Paul says that Jacob was chosen before either of the twins was even born and before they ever had opportunity to do good or evil.
God’s choice had nothing to do with their goodness. It was made...
So that God's purpose according to His choice would stand.
Because of Him who calls.
Who is the real Israel? It is those whom God has chosen. It is those who have been chosen and called and who have come in faith and who have been justified and who will ultimately be glorified.
The following lessons are taught within this passage:
(1) Being a true Israelite is not synonymous with being a physical Israelite. Relationship with God does not come on the basis of who are your parents or of what church you are a member.
There were those in Israel who supposed that mere physical descent from the patriarchs assured one of entrance into the kingdom of God. John the Baptist rejected this (Matthew 3:9‑10), and so did Jesus (John 8:39).
The issue is not that of physical ancestry but rather SPIRITUAL ancestry. There is a spiritual seed going back all the way to the Garden - it is the seed of the woman which is over against the seed of the serpent. The latter leads to those who are descendants of Satan. The former are culminated in the One who is THE Seed - Jesus Christ.
To become a part of this spiritual seed requires a spiritual birth - a divine regeneration brought about through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
(2) Those who are of the spiritual seed are those whom God has chosen. Receiving this election is not the results of one’s works but a gift given to those whom God has sovereignly chosen.
(3) This election is individual. Some seek to water down Paul’s words and the doctrine of election by suggesting that the election spoken of here and elsewhere is the election of a nation, a group, and not individuals. This is quite contrary to Paul’s teaching. In fact, the very concept of group election is the error Paul is trying to correct here. Many Israelites thought they were assured a place in the kingdom of God based solely on their physical descent as Israelites.
Paul’s examples, used to prove his point, are cases of individual election.
Isaac was chosen over Ishmael.
Jacob was chosen over Esau.
Moses was chosen to worship God.
Pharaoh was hardened.
Paul speaks of both sides of the coin. It was Isaac, not Ishmael (inferred). It was Jacob, not Esau. It was Moses, not Pharaoh. There are “vessels of wrath” and there are “vessels of mercy” (9:22‑23). The fate of the lost, as well as that of the saved, is first and foremost a decision made by our sovereign God.
Having said this, we must point out that the EMPHASIS of Biblical teaching is upon those whom God has chosen for salvation - and this should be our emphasis, too.
(5) Divine sovereignty does not exclude or reduce human responsibility. Paul does not start the epistle to the Romans with the doctrine of election. He begins instead showing that man is willingly rebellious against God. It is true that God has not chosen certain men. But it is also true that men have not chosen God.
(6) The sovereignty of God means God is in control.
All of God’s promises are based upon one fact: God is in control. If there is one message which permeates biblical prophecy, it is this: God is sovereign. The sovereignty of God is our assurance that He will do what He has promised. If God is not in control of everything, including man’s salvation, then God is not sovereign, and His promises are not certain.
The good news is that God IS sovereign. And He is able to keep all of His promises.
